The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-29
THE ANNEXATION QUESTION
Britons Would Fight Stubbornly to Re-
tain Possession of the Dominion,
And Would Buster Good Deal Even if the
Provinces Voted for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
No Longer Solely Bent on Conquest

this Is not shown, and clearly, too, I give no.
,ice to the American people here and now that
Canada will prove a dear morsel II they should
conclude to reach out and take her in"
do you to say that England would
fight to maintain her control of CanadaT l
asked
ooh. undoubtedly. And even il it were
shown that a majority of the Canadians wanted
annexation of their country to America, Eng
land would not yield without good deal of
buster. am not sure that there would not be
war between England and America even then.
This matter has been discussed very great
deal by the counselors to her Majesty the
Queen, and the diplomatic committees of Par
lament have frequently informally talked over
the situation since the American press has
mentioned annexation of Canada, in connection
with the fisheries question"
The above is a fragment of a long conversa-
ton had last July with very prominent
Enelishman connected with her Majesty's gov
eminent, and who begged that should not dis
close his name title in anything I should
write of our talk. which is made important by
present prospe cts OF Canada's annexation to thu
United States. We were passing over the Alps
of Switzerland in voiture. and the freedom of
conversation which usually seizes fellow-travel-
ers possessed my newly-mads English diplomatic.
Continuing. he said
"Every phase OF the case had been discussed
in Emf gland before the recent fisheries roubles
arose As long ten years ago-yes period
of twenty years since-our diplomatic officers in
Canada reported organizations of malcontents
who wanted the country taken in by America
At first such people deal with in Ire
lard wanted 10 rebel. Now the movement has
the respectable form Of mutual annexation
which means annexation by consent of England
Canada, America. I expect to see it some day,
but il may be ten or twenty years. Just at this
time do not see how anything like immediate
annexation could be made without war with
England
To this I replied that Senator Palmer, of
Michigan. recently told me, after tour of Eu-
rope and a careful study of the subject. he be-
leved that America could go to and whip any
nation earth; and. further, that no two ma
tions could come to and whip US. And, still
further that the United States could put into
the field seven million soldiers, maintain them
better than those Of any other country and at
the same time maintain the commercial and
financial states Of the country. presumed
this would be surprise to the Englishman, and
that he would deny the statement After a mo-
ments meditation he said:
81 do not doubt the Senator's accuracy. But
the English people are pig-headed and pug
nastic. They do not know when they are
whipped. and will not know it if they could.
You must not suppose, however, that England
would for an instant hesitate about going over
to America if she deemed it her duty to admin
s1sssr castigation. De- you know the federal
government of America came very near being
involved in war with En- gland during her
bellion. twenty five years aeoF Well. it is true,
and most OF the older and wel-informed of your
countrymen will remember the details of the
controversy. Only a benefcens act. at the
proper moment. prevented it
The trouble grew out of the federal govern
ment refusing TO permit either British con-
federate ships supplying our mills with cotton.
There WAS finally a cotton famine in England.
At the time l lived in Manchester. That city
has the most extensive cotton consuming facto-
ries in the world. and the material comes
from America. When, finally, the supply of cot
ton was shut of by executive order in the
United States England made demand that
she should be permitted to do her own carrying
It was refused. The federal government would
not permit the continuance of foreign traffic
with the Confederacy, because it was the design
to cut of the Supplies of the Southern States.
Finally the cotton factories of Manchester
ceased to run Tho proprietors had enormous
eapital invested. and this idle with the tens
of thousands of operatives who thronged the |
streets and begged for bread.
We'll do l remember wnen the quarters of |
the Golden Club the world famed ee-trade |
ganizatIou At Manchester. threw open its great I
building and bid the starving operatives come |
in and make it their home. More, it furnished |
them with food as long as possible, and then /
situstion grew terrible, and the So Inscriptions to
Manchester's starving spinners advertised the
tnexcussble action of the federal government of |
America over every foot of British territory. If /
only once the Manchester operatives demanded I
of the Queen that some retaatory action must
be taken. or a last demand made of the United
States for cotton, of course would have been
thrown into war with America, and that she
could not stand. even had she received assist
Rnce from France, talked Of
..At time when the situation was alarming" |
continued the Eneiishman, ''it came to Man
chester that the federal governments of America
had sent TO US two ships loaded with food and
clothing These came, and the sympathy |
OF the operatives for anti-slavery and
the cause OF the Union was increased Had it
not been that the laboring element in all Eng |
land strongly favored the abolition of slavery,
war would have followed the refusal of the fed
era government to let US have cotton In En-
gland then, as now, We believed and believe that
she old South was the arIstocratic portion OF
she United States, and the aristocracy of En-
gland symDathized with slavery, while the la
borers, being opposed to arlstocracv, was in
sympathy with the government fighting the in
atituton of the Sonth."
"'What about this feeling now-this division
Of sentiment IN England respecting Americal"
There is p division. it is true, and in the
event OF difficulty growing out OF q c0mplica-
tion with the United States there would be-
danger of an internscine division in our
own country. presume that, though
struction in America is not absolutely complete,
the country would be solid for battle with a |
foreign power. The British government would |
exercise great care in noting her exceptions to
che annexation of Canada TO the United States.
Formal protest would probably be made
till the compact between the two countries
was complete. to make the protest nationa
in its scope. We who support the Qusens adj
miuistratiou, realize that If America could i'm |
press those ia England who oppose the aiminis-
tration that IL WAS a rebellion In Canada, for |
home or free rule, then We would have q com
mune, insurrection, and ireland would be in
arms. too, against us
"But, speaking of Ireland the administration.
her Majesty, does not beiev that the evidences
OF sympathy from America for the Home-ruars
represent the better element there, or that they
amount TO much. We believe that the Aneri- |
can politicians and the Irish Americans are talk
Ing, and that in the event should have
military manoeuvre with ireland, the support
from America would do Ireland but little good.
Inc Qneen. as do all patriotic Euclishmen. con-
slders the laDdlordism throughout the United